V8 supercars

Defending Bathurst champion Chaz Mostert has been taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg after a terrifying accident in qualifying at the Bathurst 1000.

Mostert was on his first lap in the 40-minute session when he glanced the wall at 16, crashed into 17 and rode the wall leading into 18, the Dipper.

Mostert was assisted from his car by paramedics and taken to the medical centre by ambulance.

The balance of today scheduled events were cancelled and no further action on track today.

Event Chief Medical Officer Kaaren Vinns has given more insight into today's unfortunate qualfying incident at the Bathurst 1000.

"Chaz Mostert has has been taken to hospital in Orange for assessment, he has a leg and arm injury and is in a stable condition," Vinns said.

The five marshals who were invovled in the incident did not suffer from any critical injuries, with four receiving minor injuries and one treated for injuries from flying debris.

However all are receiving the best treatment from medical crews.

"The five marshals who were stationed at the flag point received minor injuries, with one being sent to Bathurst Hospital for further treatment and is in a stable condition."

CAMS will provide further updates on the condition of marshalls if any further news comes to hand.

We ask that all members do not use unofficial social media representatives of V8 Supercars or CAMS as a source for information on this situation.

CAMS thanks all officials, medical staff, emergency services and other volunteers for their professional response to this unfortunate incident.

Chas was talking all through the ordeal and even cracked jokes. “Thank God we signed that contract a couple of months ago!”

Those were Chaz Mostert’s first words to Prodrive Racing Australia team boss Tim Edwards as he lay in the Mount Panorama medical centre this afternoon with a fractured left femur and wrist.

While Mostert was able to joke about the violent accident that ruled him out of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, wrecked his $500,000 Pepsi-Max Ford Falcon FG X and ended his championship chances, Edwards stressed his young charger was also incredibly upset for his team about the accident.

“He is in good spirits, but I think there is a bit of green stick (pain killing drugs) in that,” said Edwards.

“He is thinking of the team and very apologetic to the boys who put in all the hard work to get him out on the track.”

“But it was good he was able to joke and I am happy to let everyone know about it.”

Mostert was referring to the rich deal he signed earlier this year to extend his contract with PRA until the end of the decade.

Mostert earned that new deal on the back of his massive performances this year, which have included 10 pole positions and five race wins.

An emotional Will Davison has answered his critics in the best possible fashion today, taking victory in the 200km race this afternoon at the Perth SuperSprint.

Following a promising, but ultimately disastrous run in Tasmania that culminated in his now infamous clash with James Courtney, the win today left the Erebus Motorsport V8 driver feeling vindicated. The clash with Courtney showed just how much a podium result would mean to the team ­– and today they were able to celebrate the best kind.

“I’m not a believer in karma, but to be honest … I won’t lie, you do start wondering when you’re going to win again, so it feels pretty damn special,” said Davison.

As a surprise victor, Davison rained on the parade of near-centurion Craig Lowndes as he passed the Red Bull Racing Australia driver with five laps remaining in the 84-lap fixture, scuttling any chance of a famous 100th victory for Lowndes.

“I’m one of CL’s [Craig Lowndes] biggest fans and I’ve got a lot of respect for him sitting on 99 there,” Davison said.

“But as much as that would have been a great headline, you don’t feel sorry for someone on 99 race wins.

“We’ve been working pretty hard for this, we wanted to do it clean, it’s very, very special for the team.”

Davison described the race as a ‘dream’, labelling his run as perfect across the tough test of man and machine.

“It was one of those races where everything just came together,” he said.

“It was about staying calm and to be honest, second was going to be an amazing result for us.

“I couldn’t believe when I started seeing CL have some big slides with about five or six laps to go. That actually drew me to go even smoother, just to really give us that tyre [life]. I just drove real smooth. They’re the races you dream of,” Davison said.

Davison and Lowndes started seventh and eighth on the grid, and after passing yesterday’s dominant Pepsi Max Fords drove away from the field.

On lap 79 of 83 Davison made the dive at turn six and passed the Red Bull Commodore for the race lead.

Lowndes looked as if he was in the box seat as the soft versus hard tyre battle played out – but the Erebus E63 crashed the party in Perth, delivering Davison his first win for the team and first win as a driver since Townsville 2013.

Lowndes was philosophical about how close he got to his personal milestone, but is not stressed about being in the ‘nervous nineties’.

“It would have been nice to get the 100th win today, particularly here in Perth where I broke the record two years ago,” Lowndes said.

“Ultimately, it wasn’t to be and we just didn’t quite have the tyre left at the end of the race to defend against Will. There wasn’t much I could do about it.”

Third place was also unpredictable, with Fabian Coulthard coming from the back of the grid after an off in the sand at turn six ruined his qualifying. He powered on through a cool suit failure and recovered the day in his Freightliner Commodore.

“To start the day 24th and finish thirrd was pretty cool,” Coulthard said.

“The guys and the strategy was awesome. No-one gave up. That was the message that I got today. Everyone said don’t stress, what’s happened has happened so take it in your stride, and that is exactly what I did.”

Pole man Chaz Mostert was the first Ford home in fourth, with Holden Racing Team pair James Courtney and Garth Tander fifth and sixth, with James Moffat, Nick Percat, David Reynolds and Michael Caruso rounding out the top 10.

Shane van Gisbergen, who came into the race with an additional set of new tyres thanks to a ballsy strategy call yesterday was 14th, with Saturday double-winner Winterbottom in 15th.

It was a forgettable day for Jamie Whincup, finishing 19th after spearing off track early.

Highly respected engineer Campbell Little has joined Erebus Motorsport as an exclusive consultant to the V8 Supercars program for the remainder of this year's Championship as the team looks to further enhance its overall performance.

In a boost for the team ahead of the third round of the Championship in Perth in early May, Little will be charged with providing support and oversight to the teams sporting and technical operations and will work closely with existing Team Manager Ben Croke, Technical Director Wes McDougall and General Manager - Motorsport Barry Ryan.

Little brings a wealth of experience to the team having celebrated Championship and Bathurst success with various V8 Supercars teams as well internationally in other motorsport categories.

Little will join Erebus Motorsport on a consultancy basis as he also manages other commitments within the sport on international and domestic levels.

"I'm really excited to be working with Erebus and the prospect of helping the team’s continued growth and improvement,'' said Little.

"It's a team that boasts some great people, resources and lots of potential.

"All the right ingredients are here, it’s all about making sure we get the best out of everything and everyone to ensure the team is capable of competing consistently at the highest level.’’

In addition to the employment of Little, Melbourne-based Ryan will take on an enhanced operations role with the V8 Supercars side of the business in addition to his chief focus with the Erebus GT, V8 Ute and Academy operations.

Erebus Motorsport CEO Ryan Maddison welcomed Little to the fold and said his years of expertise would perfectly complement the team’s evolution and existing senior managers in Croke, McDougall and Ryan.

“As a team we have undergone some key personnel changes since our first year in V8 Supercars so the introduction of Campbell will further complement the more than capable structure we already have in place,” said Maddison.

“Barry too has had many years of experience in all different categories so his enhanced involvement with the V8 operation can only have a positive impact on the team.

“We have a very passionate team owner in Betty and key personnel that want to make sure that we are operating as a team in the most optimal way.

“With the gains we have made already this year following an extensive period of development, we are excited about what the remainder of the year will bring.’’

Erebus Motorsport has had a tough start to the 2015 season, however a top 10 finish at the Clipsal 500 was positive for rookie Ash Walsh, as were two top four qualifyings and a top 10 race finish for Will Davison at the last event in Tasmania.

Holden has confirmed its commitment to Supercars and motorsport in Australia, today announcing a new three-year deal with Triple Eight Race Engineering to form the Red Bull Holden Racing Team from 2017.

Holden also announced today that the next-generation Commodore will be on the Supercar grid from 2018. The new factory-backed Red Bull Holden Racing Team will develop, build, race and win with the next-generation Commodore Supercar from 2018.

This announcement also confirms that as part of Holden’s ongoing brand and business evolution, it will move to a single factory-backed race team from 2017 onwards.

Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Mark Bernhard, said he was thrilled to be confirming that Holden is committed to Australian motorsport and Supercars for the next three years, and is proud to be partnering with Red Bull and Triple Eight Race Engineering.

“Motorsport has played a significant role in Holden’s heritage and we’re proud to be carrying on that tradition with the new Red Bull Holden Racing Team, while reshaping our brand and presence in the market and in motorsport. We’re taking our company forward.

“I’d also like to thank and pay homage to Walkinshaw Racing with whom we have shared a proud history over many years,” said Mr Bernhard.

“We’ll also continue to help Walkinshaw wherever we can. We support every Holden team in pit lane through various avenues such as marketing support, technical support, sponsorship acquisition, even down to helping design certain race liveries. We’ll continue that with Walkinshaw and I wish them all the best. Our relationship with Walkinshaw remains strong and we are working closely on future road vehicle initiatives as part of our ongoing HSV relationship.”

“Fans around the country will see the new Red Bull Holden Racing Team on the grid from next year but I’m especially excited about our next-generation Commodore hitting the racetrack in 2018. Australia can rest assured that our next-gen Commodore will live up to the iconic nameplate, on and off the track.

“Triple Eight is the most successful team of the modern era, they are simply the best at what they do. We’re very proud to continue our partnership with them,” said Mr Bernhard.

Key Points:

Three-year agreement signed with Triple Eight Race Engineering – team will be known as Red Bull Holden Racing Team from 2017

RUSSELL Ingall has extended his V8 Supercars super-sub role to a third race — but not with the Holden Racing Team.

Instead, ‘The Enforcer’ will cross the floor to the Prodrive Racing Australia squad to race in place of the injured Chaz Mostert at the Gold Coast 600, in what will be his 250th career race start in the sport.

Ingall was drafted out of a brief retirement to get behind the wheel of the No. 22 HRT car at the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 in place of the injured James Courtney, who is now expected to return to racing at the Gold Coast event.

Ironically, it is that recent experience behind the wheel of one of the sport’s New Generation machines, along with his wealth of V8 race miles over his decorated career, that made Ingall the team’s chief choice to replace Mostert.

And he’s aiming high.

“There’d be no reason at all why we couldn’t get a pretty reasonable result; definitely a top five result,” Ingall said.

Ingall has fond memories of both the Gold Coast streets and Ford machinery; he took the 2003 round win there in his maiden season with Stone Brothers Racing, while he took the most recent podium finish of his career at the 2013 event.

FOX SPORTS has given Ingall its blessing to extend his return to the cockpit, slotting in as co-driver while Waters is elevated to the role of the car’s main driver.

“Thankfully with the format of racing, when the races are actually on myself, Mark Skaife and Jessica hand over to the commentary team so it’s actually worked in quite good that they’ve allowed me to do this,” he added.

“It brings more of an insight into what happens behind the scenes with some of these top race teams and obviously Prodrive at the moment is the top team and it’s the one everyone’s chasing so it’s going to be good to actually get in and find out the reasons why they’re doing all this winning.”

Although Prodrive team principal Tim Edwards told FOX SPORTS that local and international drivers were available options, Ingall’s vast knowledge of the Surfers Paradise streets made him the best choice.

“It’s great to have Russell on board. He has a lot of experience at the Gold Coast circuit which was what we were looking for,” Edwards said.

“Our aim is to keep our lead in the team’s championship so that means avoiding a DNF next week. Russell has also worked with our car No. 6 race engineer Adam De Borre so they already know how the other operates which will make the process that much easier.

“Practice on Friday will be really important for both of them but particularly for Russell who will need to acclimatise with the car.”

Supercars legend Craig Lowndes, together with Caltex Australia and the Clontarf Foundation, revealed TeamVortex’s very first special edition livery today ahead of the upcoming Supercars event in Darwin this weekend.

The #888 Holden Commodore, adorned with unique Indigenous artwork, was unveiled at Sanderson Middle School, which holds its own Clontarf Academy program.

Teamed with a brand new livery and suit, Craig Lowndes is ready to hit the track in his new colours.

“I feel very special to be able to promote Caltex’s ongoing partnership with the Clontarf Foundation through such an inspired design, and what better place to embrace the Aboriginal culture and pay tribute,” said Lowndes.

“As our first ever one-off team livery, I am pleased we could do something so creative and colourful. It is really going to stand out on the track.

“The Hidden Valley circuit is a special one for me; I claimed my 100th race win here last year, so I am excited to be back again and this time in some fresh new colours.”

Local student and artist Daniel Thomson created the original artwork that was transformed into the TeamVortex Commodore’s livery. The 14-year-old said the meaning behind the design was close to his heart.

The Indigenous culture shines through in Daniel’s design, with the artwork’s flow and formation telling the story of his family fishing by the banks of the river.

“The inspiration behind my artwork is fishing, as it is something I love doing. The significance is that it is a big part of my family, connecting with each other, and we love eating barramundi,” said Thomson.

“It is pretty cool to be working with Craig Lowndes, who is one of the greatest drivers in history. I feel proud that I did this artwork for Caltex Australia as they support the Clontarf Foundation, who supports me with my schooling education.”

Caltex Executive General Manager of Supply Adam Ritchie said the custom livery was a fantastic way to symbolise Caltex’s continued support of the Clontarf Foundation and the amazing work it does.

“As a leading Australian company, we have an important role to play in making a meaningful difference to the lives of Indigenous Australians,” said Ritchie.

“Caltex is proud to unveil the special TeamVortex livery today as we bring together our Supercars partnerships in support of the Clontarf Foundation.”

Clontarf FoundationChief Executive Officer Gerard Neesham is also very pleased with the collaboration.

“We are proud to have had Caltex as a major partner of Clontarf for a number of years now, and with the partnership, have come many fantastic opportunities that our boys have been able to participate in,” said Neesham.

“It is an enormous honour to have someone as prominent and well-known across the country as Craig Lowndes to represent Clontarf. He is a true Australian sporting champion, yet so down to earth and friendly, so a great fit for our Foundation.”

Merchandise carrying the design will be on sale throughout the weekend and online, with $2 of every purchase going to the Clontarf Foundation.

Lowndes – who debuted in the category full-time in 1996 – has been on the verge of cracking triple figures since Tasmania in March, and today achieved the amazing feat that further cements him as a great of the sport.

The Red Bull racer adds 100 wins to an illustrious list of results, including three Championship wins, five Bathurst wins and top five finishes in the Championship for the past 10 consecutive years.

Funnily enough, today's race was number 888 in the Championship!

And it was another wild race, this time on soft tyres. Both front-row starters Rick Kelly and Fabian Coulthard charged into turn one, with Kelly unable to pull up his Nissan, tagging Coulthard and later getting a drive-through penalty.

As they ran off the road, Lowndes drove through for the lead and sailed home to the end of the 21-lap race for a 1.839sec victory over Supercheap Auto Racing’s Tim Slade.

“It’s quite incredible – we’ve been close a number of times the last couple of rounds, but this one is obviously very special for me,” an emotional Lowndes said after getting out of the car.

“Credit to these guys – it’s been a fantastic career, amazing to work with these guys [at Red Bull]… all the stars aligned … it’s an amazing feeling.”

Lowndes said given they had been talking about 100 wins for so long he wasn’t sure how it would feel – but the fan favourite celebrated with a great burnout and was rapt on the podium.

“We thought we were in for a chance on the soft tyre, that altercation at turn one just opened the doors and it’s very special,” he said.

Cars scattered on the first lap of the race – after the incident that allowed Lonwdes the lead, Nick Percat copped a big hit, his Repair Management Australia Racing Commodore suffering significant damage after a battle involving rookie Andre Heimgartner, as well as Jamie Whincup and Will Davison.

A safety car was deployed early but the restart was tame as drivers focused on finishing.

DJR Team Penske’s Scott Pye put in a stellar performance finishing fourth, James Courtney and Garth Tander recovered from their first race incident to come home inside the top 10 and Mark Winterbottom held onto the Championship lead with a seventh place finish.

But Lowndes was the star of the show, winning the 888th Championship race and claiming his 100th win.

He still sits second in the Championship, 29 points behind Winterbottom.

The striking red colour scheme of the #23 NP300 Navara Nissan Altima V8 Supercar is also a nod to the upcoming race debut of the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO LM P1 car at next month’s Le Mans 24 Hour, part of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Fans attending the NP300 Navara Winton SuperSprint will get a chance to see the all-new Nissan NP300 Navara on display at the circuit this weekend.

The all-new Nissan NP300 Navara is ‘powerful made clever’, a tough, powerful and capable vehicle with premium ride, comfort and interior, smart technologies and sleek, modern styling.

NP300 Navara is built on Nissan’s 80 year history of building reliable and innovative pick-up utilities, or ‘utes’, with over 14 million Nissan pick-ups sold globally.

Aaren Russell and Plus Fitness have confirmed that they will terminate their contract with Erebus Motorsport forcing the team to find a replacement driver and car for Ipswich.

Plus Fitness says the key determining factor for them in sponsoring a Rookie Driver in a Low Ranking Team was to rely on-back of garage track activation.

The giant gym franchise have been restricted from doing this due to factors outside of their control and for reasons they believe are due to the relationship between AR Racing and Erebus Motorsport.

This has also impacted on their decision to withdraw.

This raises a few questionsWhere does that leave Russell and his Ex Walkinshaw Commodore and what can Erebus do quickly to prevent a breach of it Supercar agreement.

Push one of its Merc's back into service and find someone to peddle it for now could be the answer.

Via Aaren's social media page.. Well the dreams over for now...

Im not going to get into the nitty gritty but I'm happy with everyone's decision. I have to thank Plus Fitness for everything they have done for me and will continuo to do for me. They have my back and I have theirs.

As for Erebus, I wish them all the best for the remainder of the year, unfortunately it didn't quite plan out the way we both expected, and our views differed from what we first agreed to but things have ended on a positive note. The mechanics are an amazing bunch of dedicated and skilled people, I can't thank them enough for their effort.

David Reynolds thanks for being an awesome team mate, you taught me lots, I've made an awesome mate, and I really hope good things come to you dude because you deserve it!

The dream may be over for now, but I'm not giving up, I am not a quitter, for all the doubters I have not got to the position I'm in because I can't drive a race car, and money is certainly not something at my disposal, I have worked my absolute bum out to get here, anyone who knows me understands the sacrifices we have made and when I have my best chance look out...

To all the supporters out there, thank you so much for your on going support and kind words, it's amazing to see how many people have rallied behind us this year even though it has been such a thought year on and off the track. We have 6 months to look at what we can do, I have some amazing people in my corner ( including my family) helping me make the right decisions .

We will not lye down, watch this space, I'm not giving up yet. Watch this space.

Super Black Racing is deeply saddened to confirm the death of team founder and owner, Tony Lentino who passed away peacefully Today at his home in Wellsford, New Zealand following a fifteen month battle with cancer.

Lentino was the driving force behind the creation of the all-Kiwi Supercars team which has competed full-time in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship for the last two seasons after making a wildcard debut at Bathurst in 2014.

The proud Kiwi created the team to give up-and-coming New Zealand racing drivers something to aspire to and has seen rising stars Chris Pither, Andre Heimgartner, Ant Pedersen and Richie Stanaway all drive the team’s #111 entry.

Super Black Racing’s Operations Manager, Greg Hahn paid tribute to Lentino and his legacy. “It is with great sadness we confirm the passing of our owner and founder, Tony Lentino,” Hahn said. “Tony had a dream and took us all on the journey with him. He always wanted for a Pole and a top ten finish and this weekend he got to see it. He will be deeply missed by the team”.

“He passed away surrounded by his family at his beloved home of Wellsford north of Auckland following a relatively short but spirited battle with cancer which he fought with all the energy he poured into everything he did.

“Tony was passionate about lots of things in life and while he toughed it out when he was young to establish himself as a very successful businessman, he never forgot where he came from and giving young people a chance, especially Kiwis, was central to the creation of the Super Black Racing team.

“Tony loved nothing more than taking it to the Aussies and having a Supercars team was a great way to mix his passion for his country with his love of motorsport.

“We will race on in memory of Tony but for now our thoughts and support are fully with the young family he so sadly leaves behind.”

“It was a great opportunity to show them what Speedway is all about. They both did a good job once they settled the nerves and got up to speed. Give them a few more laps and you’d throw them in a car for race night,” Scheurele said.

“Shane is good in anything he sits in, but Jono surprised me at how quick he was despite never having driven a Sprintcar before.

“I got a taste of V8 Supercars a couple of weeks ago when Shane took me around Queensland Raceway, so it was great to show them other categories Lucas Oil is involved in.”

Van Gisbergen and Webb will get back into the Darrell Lea STIX Commodore at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend for Round 8 of the V8 Supercars Championship, where the flying Kiwi won twice last year.